Duke Ellington_artist page

Artist

Duke Ellington

"Music, of course, is what I hear and something that I more or less live by. It's not an occupation or profession, it's a compulsion."

Born Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. Died May 24, 1974, in New York, New York.

A legendary jazz composer, arranger and bandleader, Duke Ellington wrote a series of songs that became standards, including "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Cotton Tail," "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated Lady," "Solitude," and "In A Sentimental Mood."

Ellington won his first three GRAMMY Awards for the 2nd GRAMMY Awards for 1959, Best Performance By A Dance Band for Anatomy Of A Murder. He made his GRAMMY performance debut with "Satin Doll" on "The Best On Record" in 1966, which commemorated the 8th GRAMMY Awards.

In 1986 a United States commemorative stamp was issued featuring Ellington's likeness.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts was founded in 1974 in Washington, D.C., a public high school offering a "dual curriculum encompassing professional arts training and academic enrichment, in preparation for college and careers in the arts."

Duke Ellington

"Music, of course, is what I hear and something that I more or less live by. It's not an occupation or profession, it's a compulsion."

Born Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. Died May 24, 1974, in New York, New York.

A legendary jazz composer, arranger and bandleader, Duke Ellington wrote a series of songs that became standards, including "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Cotton Tail," "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated Lady," "Solitude," and "In A Sentimental Mood."

Ellington won his first three GRAMMY Awards for the 2nd GRAMMY Awards for 1959, Best Performance By A Dance Band for Anatomy Of A Murder. He made his GRAMMY performance debut with "Satin Doll" on "The Best On Record" in 1966, which commemorated the 8th GRAMMY Awards.

In 1986 a United States commemorative stamp was issued featuring Ellington's likeness.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts was founded in 1974 in Washington, D.C., a public high school offering a "dual curriculum encompassing professional arts training and academic enrichment, in preparation for college and careers in the arts."

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